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Simple
Stands for (Internet Control Message Protocol)
ICMP Ping checks a remote host for availability. Local hosts should normally respond to ping requests within milliseconds. However, on a very congested network it may take up to 3 seconds or longer to receive an echo packet from the remote host. If the timeout is set too low under these conditions, it will appear that the remote host is not reachable (which is almost the truth).

Pings are normal,so it's not that anyone necissarily has your address. It might be your ISP checking to see if you are online, or checking to see if you are still using your current address, or running a diagnostics on the line to make sure everything is working properly, etc.

Every time you surf to a page, the information goes from your computer to the server you are trying to reach. The only way that information gets back is if it knows your address (simplistic explanation, I know)

They could get your Ip from your ISP with a warrant ASAP, but generally only if they think you may be doing something illegal. So now the next question you are dying to ask ," how can I be invisible on the internet? " You can't. (was I right?)

EDIT: And as deadaddict states below, it could be skiddies scanning for targets.

The internet control message protocol (IMCP) is a mechanism used by hosts and routers to send notification of datagram problems back to the sender. As you'll know IP is essentially an unreliable and connectionless protocol. However ICMP allows IP to inform a sender if a datagram is undeliverable.

A datagram travels from router to router until it reachs one that can deliver it to its final destination. If a roter is unable to route or deliver the datagram because of unusual conditions (disabled links, or the device is on fire) or because of network congestion, ICMP allows it to inform the orignal source.

ICMP uses echo test/reply to test whether a destination is reachable and reponding . It also handles both control and error messages, but its sole function if to report problems, not correct them. Responsibility for correction lies with the sender.

Getting pinged does NOT mean you're getting port scanned. A ping only checks to see if you're online or not. However, most port scanners ping a host to see if it's up before it's portscanned. But portscans are almost always caught by firewalls. If it bothers you, just tell your firewall to block ICMP Echo Request.
Cheers,
cgkanchi

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